engine smoky in morning

hi, all.. just bought a 2004 mondeo tdci zetec to use as a taxi, previously drove vectra dti which had major engine problems.. i am now hearing stories about problem injectors which are worrying me.. how true do you guys think these are.. i am very happy with the drive, performance, mpg and handling.. also when i start the car in the morning it tries to die on me. with a slight nudge on the gas pedal it stays running, but it doesnt feel very good. also its smoky.. after a few mins it clears up and drives and idles great. when its warm no probs at all.. any help would be greatly appreciated

this could be a problem with the glowplug timing, once engine is started the plugs enter an afterglow phase, this helps to improve idling and reduce hydrocarbons produced by more efficient combustion just after starting. afterglow is only active for max of 30secs or until 2500rpm is reached. it could also be the egr valve or maf sensor require cleaning, without seeing the car its hard to say.

this could be a problem with the glowplug timing, once engine is started the plugs enter an afterglow phase, this helps to improve idling and reduce hydrocarbons produced by more efficient combustion just after starting. afterglow is only active for max of 30secs or until 2500rpm is reached. it could also be the egr valve or maf sensor require cleaning, without seeing the car its hard to say.

Thanks for your help mintalkin.. should i first change try changing glowplugs see if there is any improvement.. is cleaning the egr valve and maf sensor a big job? How much do you think it will cost. Thank you

i would start by doing the cleaning the egr valve is a diy job along with the maf sensor, i bet you will find a 'how to' by doing a quick search. with the maf sensor DO NOT touch the sensor itself just remove and spray with carb cleaner and reassemble. the egr can turn into a messy job so be warned. with the glow plugs i would get the relays and connectiones checked before replaceing any plugs themselves. do what you can yourself before having to spend money on your car.

Sounds more like one of the plugs has died! I used to have a cavalier tdi and as soon as the first cold spell hit i would spot a puff of smoke and it ran like it was on 3 cylinders. A quick check of the plugs normally found at least one was dud. ( i used to buy cheap plugs from halfords so it figures they never lasted more than 12000 miles! )